CVE-2010-3871 in Mahara
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in blocktype/groupviews/theme/raw/groupviews.tpl in Mahara before 1.3.3 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors. NOTE: some of these details are obtained from third party information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/08/2019
The CVE-2010-3871 vulnerability represents a cross-site scripting flaw discovered in the Mahara learning management system prior to version 1.3.3. This vulnerability specifically affects the groupviews template file located at blocktype/groupviews/theme/raw/groupviews.tpl, making it susceptible to remote code execution through malicious web script injection. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output sanitization within the template rendering process, creating an attack surface where malicious actors can manipulate the system through crafted web content.
This XSS vulnerability operates through unspecified attack vectors that allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML code into the affected template. The flaw resides in the way Mahara processes and renders group view templates, where user-supplied data is not properly escaped or filtered before being displayed to other users. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple script injection as it can enable attackers to execute malicious code in the context of other users' browsers, potentially leading to session hijacking, data theft, or further exploitation of the compromised user accounts. The issue demonstrates poor input validation practices and inadequate output encoding mechanisms that are fundamental to preventing cross-site scripting attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for organizations relying on Mahara for educational content management and collaborative learning environments. Attackers could exploit this flaw to inject malicious scripts that would execute in the browsers of other users accessing group views, potentially compromising user sessions and accessing sensitive educational data. The vulnerability affects the core functionality of group collaboration features, undermining the trust and security assumptions of users interacting within the platform. This type of vulnerability directly impacts the integrity and confidentiality of user data within the learning management system, as malicious actors could harvest session cookies, redirect users to phishing sites, or perform actions on behalf of legitimate users.
Security mitigations for CVE-2010-3871 should focus on implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application. The recommended approach includes updating to Mahara version 1.3.3 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the vulnerability. Organizations should also implement comprehensive output encoding for all dynamic content rendered in templates, particularly those involving user-generated content. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which categorizes cross-site scripting flaws as a critical security weakness in web applications. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1566, representing the initial access phase where adversaries establish footholds through web application vulnerabilities, and T1071, covering application layer protocols used for exploitation.
The root cause of this vulnerability demonstrates a classic web application security flaw where template rendering processes fail to properly sanitize user input before displaying it in web contexts. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the importance of defense-in-depth security practices, including input validation, output encoding, and regular security updates. Organizations should implement automated security scanning tools to identify similar vulnerabilities in their web applications and establish secure coding practices that prevent such flaws from occurring in future development cycles. The security community recognizes this vulnerability as a critical issue requiring immediate attention, as it represents a fundamental breakdown in the security architecture of the Mahara platform's template rendering system.